[So poor he only had the dragon robe left.jpg]
This meme, filled with endless sorrow and self-mockery, pierced Lin Wanwan's heart like the sharpest icicle.
The pain, dense and aching, spread instantly throughout my limbs and bones.
At that moment, for the first time, she realized so profoundly and so heavily what a mess this man before her, her nominal husband, the emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, was facing every day—a mess riddled with problems and on the verge of collapse.
It wasn't just about the intrigue and power struggles within the imperial court, involving the Regent and the Empress Dowager.
It wasn't just the endless intrigues and schemes within the harem, nor was it merely the treacherous world of human nature.
It is not only the outwardly magnificent but inwardly rotten national treasury; it is the huge deficit left by the late emperor's ambition and extravagance in his later years; it is the rampant erosion of the national economic lifeline by powerful clans like a malignant tumor; it is the enormous crisis hidden beneath the prosperous facade of the capital, a crisis that could instantly overturn the entire vast empire.
And he carried all of this on his shoulders alone, silently and alone.
He can't tell anyone.
Telling the court officials would cause panic in the court and among the people, shake the foundation of the country, and give the regent's faction an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
To say this to the Empress Dowager would be tantamount to openly accusing the late emperor and his maternal clan of their crimes, which would only provoke a more intense backlash and suppression.
He could only stand alone, like the loneliest guardian, day after day, in this desolate and empty treasure trove, guarding the empire's most shameful secret, using his still immature shoulders to try his best to support this crumbling and magnificent mansion, preventing it from collapsing.
Looking at his slightly trembling shoulders, and at the chibi-style little emperor curled up in a ball above his head, silently weeping in the empty treasure vault, Lin Wanwan felt as if her heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating her.
She suddenly understood why he pretended to be sickly, why he kept his temper in check, and why he always wore a cold mask in front of others.
Because behind him lay a precipice, with no way to retreat. He had to proceed with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice.
At this moment, all the questions about his indifference, suspicion, and hypocrisy were answered.
An unprecedented wave of tenderness welled up in her heart, a tenderness that overwhelmed all her reason like a tidal wave. She longed to go up to him, to hug him like she would comfort an ordinary person, and to tell him, "Don't be sad," and "Everything will be alright."
But she knew he didn't need it.
As an emperor, he possessed his own pride and dignity. Any form of sympathy or pity could be seen as a form of humiliation to him.
He brought her here to share this most crucial secret with her, not to gain her sympathy.
What he needs is understanding, sharing, and the determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with him and face this ruin together.
Lin Wanwan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in her heart and forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes.
She didn't offer those pale and cheap words of comfort.
She slowly, step by step, walked to his side.
Her footsteps echoed in the empty treasure vault, crisp and firm. Each step seemed to tread upon the lonely strings of Xiao Che's heart, playing a resonant melody.
She didn't speak, but instead followed his example, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, her gaze fixed on the vast and empty treasure trove before them, a symbol of the empire's devastation.
Her movements were light, yet they carried a silent power, a powerful force that said, "I am here, with you."
Xiao Che sensed the presence beside him—a familiar scent with a faint, sweet fragrance. His slightly trembling shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly at that moment.
He didn't turn around, but a complex and indescribable emotion welled up inside him. He didn't know what she would say after seeing this unbearable truth. Would she be terrified like the concubines in the imperial harem, turning pale and regarding him as a hot potato, keeping her distance from him? Or would she offer him some empty words of comfort that he was already tired of hearing?
Neither of these was what he wanted to hear.
However, Lin Wanwan's reaction once again completely exceeded his expectations.
All that could be heard was her calm, almost indifferent voice beside him. There was no shock, no fear, and no sympathy in her voice; there was only an air of knowing and calm as if she were stating a given fact.
"I see."
These four simple words, like the morning bell and evening drum, resounded fiercely in Xiao Che's heart!
He turned his head sharply and looked at the woman beside him in disbelief.
Do you understand?
What do you understand?
Do you understand why I pretended to be sickly, why I had to deal with the regent, why I was in such a predicament as an emperor yet constantly constrained, and the heavy burden on my shoulders that could crush anyone?
He saw that Lin Wanwan was also turning her head to look at him.
Her almond-shaped eyes shone brilliantly under the light of countless luminous pearls in the treasure vault. There was no fear or hesitation in them; instead, they burned with a flame he had never seen in her before, a flame as dazzling as the stars!
That flame represents fighting spirit, a sense of responsibility, and a steadfastness and sense of duty that rivals any man in the world!
Meeting his shocked gaze, she spoke clearly, word by word, in an incredibly calm yet unwavering tone:
"From today onwards, here..."
Her gaze swept across the empty treasure trove, over the dusty empty boxes, and over the desolate scene that represented the decline of the empire.
"...that is our battlefield."
She fixed her gaze on his face again, and in his bright eyes, her shocked figure was clearly reflected, as well as a solemn promise that could shake mountains and rivers.
"Xiao Che, you are not alone."
You are not alone.
boom--!
Xiao Che felt that his brain had been completely detonated by this simple sentence at this moment!
He stared at her in shock, at the dazzling light in her eyes, at her stunningly beautiful face that seemed to say "I am with you." In that instant, the high wall in his heart, built up by loneliness, pressure, and suspicion, crumbled!
Soulmate!
He finally found it!
He found a soulmate who could truly see through all his pretenses, understand all his predicaments, and was willing to shoulder this heavy burden with him!
The ecstasy of being completely understood, the immense satisfaction of no longer fighting alone, instantly overwhelmed all his reason and pretense, causing his eyes to well up with tears for the first time.
The sad, huddled-up little emperor emoji above his head, silently weeping amidst a pile of gold coins, slowly, bit by bit, disappeared.
Instead, a brand new dynamic pattern, full of power and hope, has been created.
They were two chibi-style cartoon figures dressed in gorgeous armor.
One was him, dressed in a black dragon robe and armor, holding a long sword; the other was her, dressed in a red phoenix crown and armor, also holding a sword.
They stood back to back on a piece of land that symbolized the ruins of an empire, facing together the boundless, dark enemy army composed of countless greedy rats and jackals!
Though their figures are small, they are as steadfast as mountains, forming a world of their own! Behind them, a golden sun is slowly rising, radiating boundless light!
Below the pattern, a line of text, composed of golden flames and brimming with battle intent, slowly emerged—
【Our War.gif】!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com